Saint Who?
Saints Who Championed the Eucharist
Blessed Imelda Lambertini
Child († 1333) Feast: May 13
Our Lord told us that we must become like little children if we want to enter the kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mt 18:3), and Imelda is a perfect example of childlike faith.
Born into a noble family in Bologna, Italy, she was devout even as a little girl. When Imelda learned about a girls’ school run by Dominican nuns, she begged her parents to send her there. They agreed. The nuns noticed that Imelda was a prayerful child who seemed attracted to our Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament. By the time she was eleven, she had shared with her friends and the nuns how much she longed to receive Holy Communion. But, according to the practice of the time, she would have to wait another year.
On the feast of the Ascension, the whole school community assembled in church for Mass. After Mass was over, the nuns saw that Imelda continued to pray—and then they noticed what appeared to be a Host hanging over the girl’s head. The nuns pointed out this phenomenon to the priest, who saw the miracle and decided to give Communion to the girl. Imelda was delighted, returned to prayer, and then collapsed. The priest and nuns came to the only conclusion they could make based on what they had seen: the little girl had died of happiness.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, help us to become
like little children in our hearts.
